I expected a quick and unequivocal no, but it
didn’t come as fast as I thought it would.
“I don’t think so. I mean, I’m sure I have by
accident sometime. I’ve jaywalked. But I’m not some kind of criminal.”
Well, that makes one of us, I
thought.
My anger from earlier started to fade and be
replaced by the heat of the knowledge that Eden’s naked tits were only inches
from my chest, separated by water I could see right through. Last time I’d seen
them under her pink bra, she’d been too fucked up for me to take advantage
. . . but tonight she was completely sober.
I raised my gaze from her chest, expecting her
cheeks to be red when she realized I was staring at her nipples, but she wasn’t
watching my face. She was staring down at my body.
“Like what you see?”
That got her attention.
Eden jerked her head up to meet my eyes, and
the blush colored her skin like I’d timed it.
“You’re . . . big.”
A booming laugh broke free from my throat at
her unexpected response, and her cheeks flamed even brighter.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean
. . . everywhere. Not just, in the . . .” She looked down,
then jerked her gaze back to mine. “I’m going to shut up now.”
That kind of awkward and fumbling response
couldn’t be faked, and protectiveness rose in me again. Eden was no con artist.
She was a girl who couldn’t even say the word cock without turning red.
“Ain’t no shame in my game.”
She reached out a hand and covered my lips
with her fingers. “Stop. You’re just making it worse. I wasn’t checking out
your . . . package. I mean, I did before you got in the pool, but
that’s only because I thought you’d have underwear on because who doesn’t wear
underwear?” The babbling continued, and so did my laughter.
Hell, I hadn’t laughed this much since Delilah
had given in to a customer’s request and tattooed a flexing veined eggplant
cartoon on a client so he could send pictures of it instead of dick pics.
Eden pulled her hand back and covered her
face. “I’m going to stop talking now. I seriously can’t be trusted to say
anything that’s not completely humiliating when you’re standing this close to
me naked.”
“I disagree, and since I’m not ready to get
out and put my clothes on, you’re going to have to deal with it.”
She mumbled something under her breath.
“Come again?”
Eden pressed her lips together for a beat
before saying, “I don’t know how to deal with it. This isn’t something I’ve
ever dealt with before.”
A crazy thought popped into my brain. “Are you
a virgin?”
If there was a red brighter than fire engine,
that was the color of Eden’s cheeks. “No! Of course not. Really. I’ve touched a
dick before. I mean, just the one, but it still counts. Well, I didn’t really
touch it. Except, you know, inside me. Oh my God, I’m just going to shut up
now.”
Realization dawned on me as her babbled
protest silenced. “You’ve had sex with one guy? Once? How old are you?”
Eden turned to bolt, but instead smashed her
tits into my arm. I stepped close enough so that only an inch of water
separated us.
Her gaze went skyward. “This is so
humiliating.”
That’s where she and I had differing opinions.
“Why? Because you haven’t fucked every guy you’ve ever met? What’s wrong with
that?”
Eden’s gaze snapped down to mine and her brows
drew into slashes. “Hey, whoa now. You can toss that double-standard crap right
in the trash. What if I had screwed every guy I ever met? Would that make me
less of a person? I mean, it’s not like you probably haven’t been with dozens
and dozens of women. I’m not judging you. Except for maybe that Kitty girl. I
mean, really? You’ve got to have some standards.”
My laughter boomed out again across the
courtyard. “Cupcake, just because I can get most any pussy I want, doesn’t mean
I do it.”
“Still, double standards are—”
When she started on another tirade, I decided
to silence her the best way I knew how.
I leaned down and covered her lips with mine.
